Transcript Do Race & Income Matter?

An Action Research Project
By Gary A. Proulx
EDU 702.22 - Spring 2010
Abstract
Introduction
 Statement of the Problem
 Review of Related Literature
 Statement of Hypothesis
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Method
 Participants
 Instruments
 Experimental Design
 Procedure
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Results
Discussions
Implications
References
Appendices
 Appendix A : Consent Form
 Appendix B : Parent Survey
 Appendix C : Focus Group Agenda
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At P.S. X, a low income, urban
elementary school in East New
York, when parents are not
directly engaged in their child’s
education, the student’s level of
achievement suffers.
What does the research say
about parent involvement in
children’s education in relation
to academic success?
 The earlier in a child’s educational
process parent involvement begins, the
more powerful the effects.
(Cooper & Christie, 2005; Hampton, 1998; Hoover-Dempsey, 1995; Overstreet, 2005)
 The most effective forms of parental
involvement are those which engage
parents in working directly with their
children on learning activities at home.
(Epstein, J., 1991; Hampton, 1998; Laureau, A., 2000; Nettles, S., 1991).
 Lack of parental involvement is the
biggest problem facing public schools.
(Desimone, L. 1999; Epstein, J., 1991; Hill, D. 2004; Ladson-Billings, G., 2001).
 The more intensely parents are involved
the more beneficial the achievement
effects.
(Krajewski, B. & Sabir, L., 2000; Wong, K., & Alkins, K., 1999).
 Family participation in education was twice as
predictive of students’ academic success as
family socioeconomic status.
(Overstreet, S. 2005).
 Research shows that when parents are involved
students have higher grades, better attendance,
increased levels of self-esteem & motivation,
decreased use of drugs & alcohol, and fewer
instances of violence.
(Jeynes, W., 2010)
 The most consistent predictors of childrens’
academic achievement and social adjustment
are parent expectations of child’s academic
attainment & satisfaction with their child’s
education at school.
(Levine, D., 1982; Martinez-Pons, M., 2002).
 Parents of high-achieving students set higher
standards for their children’s educational
activities than parents of low-achieving
students.
(Schoenfeld, A., 1999; Powell-Mikle, A., 2004; Nelson, G., 2008).
 Major factors of parental involvement in the
education of their children include:
 Parent’s beliefs about what is important, necessary, and
permissible for them to do with and on behalf of their
children.
 The extent to which parents believe that they can have
a positive influence on their children’s education.
 Parents’ perceptions that their children and school
want them to be involved.
(Abdul-Adil, 2006)
 When parents come to school regularly,
it reinforces the view in the child’s mind
that school and home are connected.
(Horvat, E., Weininger, E., & Lareau, A., 2003; Levine, D. 1982)
 Teachers often think that low-income
parents & single parents will not spend
as much time helping their children at
home.
(Barton, A., Corey, D., Perez, J., St. Louis, K., & George, M., 2004).
 “There are many reasons for
developing school, family, and
community partnerships…the main
reason is to help all youngsters
succeed in school and in later life
-Joyce Epstein
 Joyce Epstein, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins University,
has developed a framework for defining six
different types of parent involvement:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Parenting
Communicating
Volunteering
Learning at Home
Decision Making
Collaborating with Community
(Epstein, J., 1991).
 HR1: This researcher will investigate the
common characteristics of highly engaged
parents from P.S. X, a low income urban
school, to better understand what inspires
their participation. This will be done by
surveying and conducting a focus group
with these parents.
 A group of parents from P.S. X, a low
income school in East New York.
 These will be parents that have shown
exemplary participation in their child’s
education, and whose children are in the
gifted class.
 Survey
 To gather preliminary, anonymous data from
the P.S. X parent group about what inspires
their involvement in their child’s education.
 Focus Group
 Researcher will facilitate and record a
conversation with the P.S. X parent group to
gain further insight into the characteristics of
highly engaged parents.
 Abdul-Adil, J. & Farmer, A. (2006). Inner-City African American Parental
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Involvement in Elementary Schools: Getting Beyond Urban Legends
of Apathy. School Psychology Quarterly, 21 (1), 1-12. Retrieved March 14,
2010, from JSTOR database.
Barton, A., Drake, C., Perez, J., St. Louis, K, & George, M. (2004).
Ecologies of Parental Engagement in Urban Education. Educational
Researcher, 33 (4), 3-12. Retrieved March 14, 2010, from JSTOR database.
Cooper, C. & Christie, C. (2005). Evaluating Parent Empowerment: A Look at
the Potential of Social Justice Evaluation in Education. Teachers College
Record, 107 (10), 2248-2274. Retrieved March 8, 2010, from Wilson
Web.
Desimone, Laura (1999). Linking Parent Involvement with Student
Achievement: Do Race and Income Matter? The Journal of Educational
Research, 93 (1), 11-30. Retrieved March 13, 2010, from JSTOR
database.
Epstein, Joyce L., & Dauber, Susan L. (1991). School Programs and Teacher
Practices of Parent Involvement in Inner-City Elementary and Middle
Schools. The Elementary School Journal, 91(3), 289-305. Retrieved March
29, 2010, from JSTOR database.
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Foster, Michelle L., & Peele, Tryphenia B. (2001). Ring my Bell: Contextualizing Home
and School in an African American Community. Classroom Diversity: Connecting
Curriculum to Students’ Lives. Portsmouth: Heinemann
Hampton, F., Mumford, D., & Bond, L. (1998). Parent Involvement in the Inner-City
Schools: The Project FAST Extended Family Approach to Success. Urban
Education, 33(3), 410-427. Retrieved from ERIC database EJ572944.
Herbert, T. (2001). If I Had a Notebook, I Know Things Would Change: Bright
Underachieving Young Men in Urban Classrooms. Gifted Quarterly, 4, 174-194.
Retrieved on February 25, 2010, from SAGE database.
Huang G., & Mason, K. (2008). Motivations of Parental Involvement in
Children’s Learning: Voices from Urban African American Families of
Preschoolers. Multicultural Education, 15(3), 20-27. Retrieved March 7, 2010,
from Wilson Web.
Hill, Dale. (2004). The Boy and the Rose. Gifted Child Today, 22 (24), 64.
Retrieved March 7, 2010, from SAGE database.
Hoover-Dempsey, K, Bassler, O., & Burow, R. (1995). Parents’ Reported
Involvement in Students’ Homework: Strategies and Practices. The
Elementary School Journal, 95 (5), 435-450. Retrieved March 14, 2010, from
JSTOR database.
 Jeynes, William H. (2010). The Salience of the Subtle Aspects of Parental
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Involvement and Encouraging That Involvement: Implications for
School-Based Programs. Teachers College Record, 112 (3), 747-777.
Retrieved on April 12, 2010.
Krajewski, B, & Sabir, L. (2002). Every Child a Success: Reaching for a Vision.
Principal, 79 (4), 44-47. Retrieved from ERIC database (EJ601237)
Ladson-Billings, Gloria (2001). Can Anybody Teach These Children? Crossing
over to Canaan. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Laureau, Annette (2000). Social Class and Parent Involvement in Schooling.
Home Advantage: Social Class and Parental Intervention in Elementary
Education. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
Laureau, Annette (2000). What Do Teachers Want From Parents? Home
Advantage: Social Class and Parental Intervention in Elementary
Education. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
Levine, Daniel U. (1982). Successful Approaches for Improving Academic
Achievement in Inner-City Elementary Schools. The Phi Delta
Kappan, 63 (8), 523-526. Retrieved on March 21, 2010, from the JSTOR
database.
 Martinez-Pons, Manuel. (2002). Parental Influences on Children’s Academic
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Self-Regulatory Development. Theory into Practice, 41 (2), 126-131.
Retrieved on March 21, 2010, from JSTOR database.
McNamara, E., Weininger E., & Lareau, A. (2003). From Social Ties to Social
Capital: Class Differences in the Relations Between Schools and Parent
Networks. American Educational Research Journal, 40 (2), 319-351.
Retrieved March 14, 2010, from JSTOR database.
Menard-Warwick, J. (2007). Biliteracy and Schooling in an Extended-Family
Nicaraguan Immigrant Household: The Sociohistorical Construction of
Parental Involvement. Anthropology & Education Quarterly, 38 (2), 119137. Retrieved on March 3, 2010, from Wilson Web.
Moll, L., Amanti, C., Neff, D. & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of Knowledge for
Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and
Classrooms. Theory Into Practice, 31, 132-141.
Moore, J., Ford, D., & Milner, R. (2005). Recruitment is Not Enough: Retaining
African American Students in Gifted Education. Gifted Quarterly, 49,
51-67. Retrieved on February 25, 2010, from SAGE database.
 Nelson, Greg. (2008). Ways with Community Knowledge. Pen128, 3,
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213-224. Retrieved on February 21, 2010, from SAGE database.
Nettles, S. (1991). Community Involvement and Disadvantaged
Students: A Review. Review of Educational Research, 61(3), 379406. Retrieved on March14, 2010, from JSTOR database.
Overstreet, S., Devine, J., Bevans, K., & Efreom, Y. (2005). Predicting
Parental Involvement in Children’s Schooling Within an
Economically Disadvantaged African American Sample.
Psychology in the Schools, 42(1), 101-111. Retrieved March 2, 2010,
from Wiley InterScience, www.interscience.wiley.com
Powell-Mikle, A, & Patton, M. (2004). Meaningful Learning with
African American Families: The Freedom Quilt Fun Packs.
Childhood Education, 80(4), 187-199. Retrieved February 25,
2010, from Wilson Web.
Reed, Wayne (2009). The Bridge is Built: The Role of Local Teachers in
an Urban Elementary School. The School Community Journal,
19(1).
 Rosenberry, A., McIntyre E., & Gonzalez, N. (2001). Connecting
Students’ Cultures to Instruction. Classroom Diversity:
Connecting Curriculum to Students’ Lives. Portsmouth:
Heinemann
 Schoenfeld, Alan H. (1999). Looking Toward the 21st Century:
Challenges of Educational Theory and Practice. Educational
Researcher, 28(7),4-14. Retrieved on March 21, 2010, from
aera.net.
 Stewart, E., Stewart, E., & Simons, R. (2007). The Effect of
Neighborhood Context on the College Aspirations of African
American Adolescents. American Educational Research
Journal, 44(4), 896-919. Retrieved on March14, 2010, from SAGE
database.
 Wong, K., & Alkins, K. (1999). Toward Systemic Reform in HighPoverty Schools: A Comparative Analysis of Two Large
School Districts. The Elementary School Journal, 4(38), 87-101.
Retrieved on February 25, 2010, from Wilson Web.
Dear Principal,
I am completing my graduate program in the Childhood Education Department at Brooklyn College. I
am conducting an action research project on the effects and impact of parental involvement. The
research will require me to survey parents, as well as, conduct a focus group with highly
engaged parents, in order to gather information for my research.
All results will be reported as a group study and to respect their privacy, the names of the participants
will remain anonymous. This research will assist me in my goal to bring more parents to the school and
to get more parents involved in their child’s education. I am asking for your consent to carry out this
project during the months of September – December, 2010. Thank you in advance for your support and
cooperation. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Gary A. Proulx
Directions: Please select one of the numbers below that best answers the questions and place your
response on the space provided to the right. Thank you for your cooperation.
1: Strongly Agree
2: Agree
3: Disagree
4: Strongly Disagree
I help my child with his/her homework every night.
2. I have a good relationship with my child’s teacher.
3. I am currently a member of the Parent-Teacher Association.
4. I assist my child with his/her homework at least 3 nights a week.
5. My child does well in school because of my help.
6. I assist my child with school only when asked.
7. I am satisfied when my child does his best in school.
8. I read to my child every night.
9. I always attend functions such as Open House at my child’s school.
10. I read to my child at least 3 nights a week.
1.
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
The purpose of this focus group is to gather information from highly engaged parents. The moderator will be the action researcher
and he will conduct a round table discussion by asking questions and inciting a dialogue amongst the parents who have shown by
their behavior to be highly engaged in their child’s academic success. In hopes to gain a better understanding of the characteristics
that these parents share and perhaps can influence other parents to become more engaged. Below is a sample list of questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
How often do you help your child with his/her homework?
How would you describe your relationship with your child’s teacher?
Are you currently a member of the Parent-Teacher Association?
Do you think your child does well in school because of your help?
Were your parents as engaged with your teachers/school as you are?
What was your experience with school like?
Does the school communicate with you enough?
How often do you attend functions such as Open House at your child’s school?
How often do you review your child’s homework assignments?
How often did you read to your child when they were younger?
Were you read to as a child?
How far in school did you attend?
How often do you speak with other parents?
What are some things that we can do to increase parental involvement?
15.
What inspires you to be so involved in your child’s education?
16.
Who or what has encouraged and/or influenced you to be involved in your child’s education?
Thank-you for listening.
See you in September!
-Gary